Box fastener



June 1929- w. E. SMELZER BOX FASTENER Filed June 14, 1927 IIIIIIIIIIIIII4 l4 I hill/III III/l Patented June 4, 1929.

WILLIAM E. SMELZER, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOB T0 MDNARCH NUSBAUM PAPER BOX 00., INCL, OF.BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

BOX FASTENER.

Application filed June 14,

This invention relates to a box fastener and a method of making the same.

The box fastener with which card board mailing boxes are equipped is usually struck from a strip of stock metal through a die operation, or a series of die operations, so as to form a bendable tongue for being passed through slots in the box cover and then bent outwardly and downwardly to secure the cover to the box. The body portion of the fastener is usually clinched through or'secured to the sides of the boxthrough the intermediary of a plurality of prongs for firmly securing the fastener to the box. It not infrequently happens that the fastener will pull away from the box, when bending the tongue outwardly, and thereby destroy the utility of the box for mailing purposes.

The present invention has for an object to provide an improved fastener and anchorage therefore to insure a longer lived box having greater utility. Another object is to provide flaps or fingers laterally of the tongue for engaging over the upper edge of the box and downwardly against the inner wall thereof to anchor the upper portion of the fastener body to the box against pulling away therefrom. A further object resides in the novel securement of such flaps or fingers in their operative position. A further object of the invention is to shape said flaps so as to snugly embrace the upper edge of the box and effect a neat finish to the fastener where the flaps extend over said upper edge. 1

The invention also resides in an improved method of forming and attaching these fasteners in an efficient and economical manner.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view ofthe body of the box showing two of the improved fasteners applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a similar view with the cover applied to the box and the pliable tongues of the fasteners bent down to secure the cover in position.

Fig. 3 is a detailed sectional view showing the fastener inoperative or as depicted in Fig. 1. i

Fig. 4: is a similar view showing the fas- 1927. Serial No. 198,818.

tener in its operative position, or as depicted in Fig. 2.

Figs 5 is a plan view of the stock strip illustrating the steps of die-cutting the fasfor mailing purposes, the same comprising a body 1 and a telescoping cover 2, the latter being formed at opposite sides of its top face with slits or slots 3 to receive the bendable or pliable tongues 4 of the fasteners.

Each fastener comprises .a body portion 5 having a tongue 4 projecting upwardly from its upper edge and centrally thereof, lateral securing-flaps 6 also projecting from the upper edge of the body portion and at opposite sides of the tongue 4, and a pair of clinching spurs or prongs 7 which are preferably struck out from the body portion of the fastener within the body'lines thereof and adjacent its lower edge.

Tn forming the fasteners from the strip of stock 8,-the strip isinitially provided with a pair of alined beads or bulges 9 extending inwardly from its opposite edges thereby leaving an intermediate portion from which the tongue 4 is struck and forming concaved seats on the under side to receive the upper edge of the box 1. Following this operation the substantially rectangular flaps 6 are struck downwardly from the marginal edge portions of the forwardly feeding strip so that the flaps will be joined to the fastener body only by the beads 9. Preferably, at the same time the prongs or spurs 7 are punched through to extend from the body substantially at right angles thereto, in a manner similar to the flaps 6. The forming of the flaps partially defines the tongue 4. The next and final step on the forwardly feeding strip is a combined one of completing.

the formation of the fastener as well as attaching it to a box. The fastener is completed by severing the tongue 4 from the base portion of the succeeding fastener. This is preferably accomplished by striking out the free end of the tongue from within the base of the succeeding fastener, as indicated at 10, leaving a recess 11 in said base. This not only avoids sharp corners or projections but the downwardly extending free end portions I of the fiapsG, thereby firmly and permanently securing the fastener to the box. By leaving the fastener unsevered from the strip'up to the final step, the fastener is supported by the strip until it is in a position for at- V tachrnent to the box. The prongs form flapsecuring members which secure the flaps in their operative position and against accidental pulling away from the inner surface of the box. i

The base or body portion 5 is given a firm and substantial supporting engagement with I the exterior surface of the box, such engagement continuing below the portion of the box which is penetrated by the prongs 7 by reason of the depending portions 5 which extend on opposite sides of the recess 11. These depending portions 5 extend a considerable distance below the prongs 7 so that any outward pulling on the tongue 4 will be effectively resisted by the broad and deep body portion. By striking the prongs 7 from the body portion at a distance above the lowermarginal portions thereof, the flaps 6 may be con siderably shortened. There is, therefore, provided a box fastener in which a complete embrace of the box is provided for in that the prongs 7 overlap the flaps 6, and regardless of the length of the flaps 6 and the location of the prongs 7 the body portion 5 will be accorded a firm and substantial support against the box by reason of the lower de pending marginal portions 5.

As a further means of effecting a neat finish to the tongue as well as to reinforce the same, a bulge or knob 12 is pressed therefrom.

, This knob is preferably formed during the first step, when the seats 9 are formed, the

same being pressed downwardly so as to be' on the exterior of the bentover tongue. The free end of the tongue is reinforced against bending and insures the line of fold or bend locating itself adjacent the base of the tongue.

The beaded portion 9 provides a preformed pocket or seat to receive the upper edge of the box when the flap is bent over against the inside of the box, thereby according definite lines of fold to the flap and facilitating'the bending of theliap over said upper edge to effect a neat finish. With the flaps engaging over the upper edge of the box the upper portion of the fastener body is securely held against pulling or tearing away from the box at this point when the tongue is bent outwardly to a cover-securing position. The

flaps further provide a solid surface onto which the inwardly protruding ends of the prongs 7 may be clinched, thereby avoiding tearing the fiber of the box by embedding'the prongs thereinto, which latter'method has always resulted in weakening the Wall structure at such point or points receiving the embedded prongs.

I claim:

1. A box fastener comprising a body por tion having a cover-securing tongue, spaced flaps arranged on opposite sides of the tongue for engaging over the upper edge of a box, and prongs struck from the lower part of the body portion within the body lines thereof for piercing the box and clinchingly engaging over the flaps within the box.

2. A box fastener comprising a body portion having spaced independent flaps on its upper edge for bending over the upper edge of box, a cover-securing tongue projecting from the upper edge of the body portion beyond and between the flaps, and spaced prongs struck from the lower part of and within the body portion for penetrating the wall of a box and being bent backwardly over the downwardly bent flaps.

3. A box fastener comprising a body portion having a cover-securing tongue projecting centrally from its upper edge, spaced independentflaps on said upper edge for bending over the upper edge of a box, saidtongue being arranged between said flaps, spaced prongs struck from within the body portion beneath respective flaps for penetrating the box, and spaced bearing portions depending from the lower edge of said body portion beneath. respective prongs, each bearing portion being in substantial alignment with a respective prong and flap.

4. A box fastener comprising a body portion having a cover-securing tongue projecting centrally from one edge, a flap on each side of the tongue projecting from said edge for being bent downwardly over a portion of the box, depending bearing portions on the opposite edge of the body portion in substantial alignment with said flaps for flatly engaging the box surface, and spaced prongs each struck from between an aligned flap and" bearing portion for penetrating the box and being clinchingly engaged over the respective flaps to secure the latter against accidental disengagement.

5. A box fastener comprising a body having a cover-securing tongue projecting centrally from its upper edge, a flap on each side of the tongue and independent thereof and ofthe companion flap and projecting from said upper edge for being bent inwardly and being bent upwardly over the down-turned downwardly over the upper edge of the box, free end portions of said flaps thereby formand spaced prongs each underlying a respecing therewith an anchorage on each side of the 10 tive flap and arranged inwardly from the side tongue completely encircling a portion of the and lower marginal portions of the body, said box.

prongs being struck out from the body portion for penetrating the Wall of the box and WILLIAM E. SMELZER. 

